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Ruhr Pocket

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	Topics Ruhr Pocket Topic Home The Ruhr Pocket was a battle of encirclementEncirclement Encirclement is a military term for the situation when a force or target is isolated and surrounded by enemy forces.... that took place in late March and early April 1945, near the end of World War IIWorld War II World War II, or the Second World War, was a worldwide conflict fought between the Allied Powers and the Axis Powers ,... , in the Ruhr AreaRuhr Area The Ruhr Area, also called simply Ruhr, is an urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, consisting of a number of... of GermanyGermany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in central Europe.... . It was, for all intents and purposes, the final dagger in Nazi Germany's war effort, as more than 300,000 troops were taken prisoner. In March 1945, Allied ForcesAllies of World War II The Allies of World War II were the countries officially opposed to the Axis Powers during the Second World War. ... crossed the RhineRhine The Rhine River is one of the longest and most important rivers in Europe at 1,320 kilometres , with an average discharge o... river. South of the Ruhr, General Omar BradleyOmar Bradley Omar Nelson Bradley was one of the main U.S.... 's U.S. 12th Army GroupU.S. 12th Army Group The 12th Army Group was the largest and most powerful American formation ever to take to the field.... 's pursuit of the disintegrating German army resulted in the capture of the Ludendorff BridgeLudendorff Bridge The Ludendorff Bridge was a railroad bridge across the Rhine in Germany, connecting the cities of Remagen and Erpel.... across the Rhine at RemagenRemagen Remagen is a city in Germany in the Bundesland of Rhineland-Palatinate, district Ahrweiler.... by the U.S. First ArmyU.S. First Army The United States First Army is a field army of the United States Army. ... . Bradley and his subordinates quickly exploited the crossing made on March 7, 1945, and expanded the bridge head until the bridge collapsed 10 days later. North of the Ruhr on March 23, 1945, Field MarshalField Marshal A Field Marshal is a military officer usually of the highest rank, one step above a full General, Army General or Colonel Ge... Montgomery's British 21st Army GroupBritish 21st Army Group The Twenty-first Army Group of the British and Canadian forces in the United Kingdom that were assigned for the invasion of ... launched Operation PlunderOperation Plunder During World War II, Operation Plunder was the crossing of the Rhine river at Rees, Wesel and south of the Lippe Canal by th... and crossed the Rhine at ReesRees, Germany Rees is a town and a municipality in the district of Cleves in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.... and WeselWesel Wesel is a city in Germany, located at the point where the Lippe River empties into the Rhine.... . Having crossed the Rhine, both Army Groups fanned out. In the south, the First Army headed northeast and formed the southern pincer of the Ruhr envelopment. In the north, the U.S. Ninth ArmyU.S. Ninth Army The US Ninth Army was one of the main US combat commands used during the campaign in northwest Europe in 1944 and 1945.... , which since the Battle of the BulgeFacts About Battle of the Bulge The Ardennes Offensive , officially named the Battle of the Ardennes by the U.S.... had been assigned to Montgomery's 21st Army Group, headed southeast, forming the northern pincer. Facing the Allied armies were the remnants of a shattered WehrmachtWehrmacht Wehrmacht was the name of the armed forces of Nazi-Germany from 1935 to 1945.... , a few SS training units, and large numbers VolkssturmVolkssturm Summary The Volkssturm was a German national militia of the last months of Germany's Third Reich.... (militia units for aging men, including some World War I veterans) and Hitlerjugend (Hitler Youth) units, composed of boys as young as 12. Lead elements of the two Allied pincers met on April 1, 1945, near LippstadtLippstadt Lippstadt is a city in the district of Soest, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.... . By April 4, the encirclementEncirclement Encirclement is a military term for the situation when a force or target is isolated and surrounded by enemy forces.... was completed and the Ninth Army reverted to the command of Bradley's 12th Army Group. Within the Ruhr Pocket about 430,000 German soldiers of Army Group BArmy Group B Army Group B was the name of three different German Army Groups that saw action during World War II.... , which was 21 divisions of the Wehrmacht, and millions of civilianCivilian In times of armed conflict a civilian is any person who is not a combatant.... s were trapped in cities heavily damaged by numerous bombingStrategic bombing during World War II Strategic Bombing during World War II was unlike anything the world had previously witnessed.... s. While the main operations headed further toward central and northern Germany, US forces concentrated on the pocket, taking it section by section. On April 12, 1945, the US First and Ninth armies divided the area coming from the south; the smaller, eastern part surrendered the next day. The western part continued to resist until April 18 and April 21, 1945. Rather than surrender and violate his personal oath to Adolf HitlerAdolf Hitler Adolf Hitler was Chancellor of Germany from 1933, and Fhrer of Germany from 1934 until his death.... that he would fight to the death, the commander, Field Marshal Walther Model, committed suicide in a forest south of the city of DuisburgDuisburg Duisburg is a German city in the western part of the Ruhr Area in North Rhine-Westphalia.... . The surviving 325,000 German soldiers from the Ruhr Pocket, and some civilians, were imprisoned in the RheinwiesenlagerRheinwiesenlager Summary The *Rheinwiesenlager* were transit camps for millions of German POWs after World War II.... . External links , 10th Infantry Regiment official history. End of war in Rhineland and Westphalia in April 1945.